Author :: Mrs Liz
Category :: Sweets For The Sweet
Ingredients ::
- Cupcakes:
- 1-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup creme fraiche, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter with 82% butterfat
- 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
- Topping:
- 8 oz. 65% chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons powdered cane sugar
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, very soft
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Courtesy of: Michael Recchiuti and Fran Gage's "Chocolate Obsession" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
Makes: 12 Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium sized bowl.
Combine the creme fraiche, eggs and vanilla extract in another medium sized bowl; and whisk by hand until well mixed.
Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter is creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy and pale.
Switch the mixer to low speed. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the wet ingredients in two additions. Using a tablespoon, divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until the cupcakes are puffed, lightly browned, slightly cracked on top, and a skewer inserted into the center of one comes out clean (15 to 20 minutes). Let cool completely in the pan on a rack. When cool, remove the cupcakes, still in their paper liners, from the muffin cups.
Make the topping and finish the cupcakes:
Put the chocolate in a medium bowl.
Put the cream and powdered sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook at a simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Whisk the mixture by hand until the chocolate melts. Whisk in the butter, and then the vanilla extract.
Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so that the wrap is touching the surface, and refrigerate until it is 70 degrees. This will probably take 30 to 40 minutes, but check after 20 minutes.
When the cream is at the correct temperature, put it into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture is lighter in color and less dense.
Put the topping into a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8 inch star tip. Pipe a swirl on the top center of each cupcake, distributing the topping evenly among them.
Store in a cool place until serving.
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